These things were widely advertised in newspapers during the early 20th Century, promoted as a "guaranteed cure" for just about everything, but particularly for piles and constipation. As the American Journal of Gastroenterology notes, they do actually have some legitimate medical uses. But in 1940 the federal government sued the Dr. Young company for making misleading claims, and after that the ads stopped appearing in newspapers. Read more about the history of these dilators at The Quack Doctor.

Is it just me, or was there more creativity in the old days, when you could use "any fruit or vegetable" with Mr. Potato Head, and arrange the features anyplace on the head, instead of in the pre-drilled slots?

I was also curious if "play doctor" sets were still made, and they certainly are, as you can see in the link below. Thank goodness children are still abetted in their, ahem, innocent early vocational explorations!